Crews Search for Plane Near Fillmore

Helicopter crews searched a rugged area near Fillmore Thursday after receiving a tip that hikers had spotted a downed plane resembling the missing aircraft flown by a Thousand Oaks family, sheriff’s deputies said.

The search by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Aviation, Search and Rescue unit was called off Thursday evening when no sign of the plane was found.

Relatives of the missing family made a public plea for the man who reported a sighting of the wreckage near Fillmore to come forward and provide authorities with more specific information.

K. Reed Harrison, his wife, Judith, and their youngest daughter, Julie, have been missing since July 25 when they failed to arrive at Camarillo Airport after taking off from Roosevelt, Utah, where they had been visiting relatives.

The tip that prompted the two-day search came from a man identifying himself as Bill Meyers. He called the Apple Valley Airport east of Victorville to report that his two children had spotted the wreckage while hiking in the hills north of Fillmore over the weekend.

The caller said the wreckage was near Red Rock Canyon, Fillmore Road, Fire Range Road, a creek and large boulders. But rescuers have been unable to find a location with all of those landmarks.

Authorities believe Meyers lives in Lancaster and works in Los Angeles. But the number he gave to airport officials later turned out to be disconnected.

In addition to asking Meyers to come forward, Kathleen Harrison, 24, of Thousand Oaks said the reward for information about the missing plane has been increased from $5,000 to $25,000.

Authorities said the description Meyers gave of the wrecked plane bore some similarities to the Harrisons’ tan, single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza plane.

Meyers said the plane had the number “22” on the side of the aircraft. Those numerals are included in the registration number for the Harrisons’ plane and were probably visible on the plane’s fuselage, Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Earl Matthews said.

A fund to pay for further searches has been established, Kathleen Harrison said. Anyone wishing to contribute may mail checks to the K. Reed Harrison Trust, c/o Law Offices of K. Reed Harrison, 141 Duesenberg Drive, Suite 10, Westlake Village 91362.